Published on October 9, 2025
Delhi, India
The Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) launched the MP Police Constable Recruitment 2025 to fill 7,500 general duty (GD) constable vacancies, drawing a staggering 9.5 lakh applications by September 29, 2025. This frenzy exemplifies India’s deepening educated unemployment trap, where highly skilled youth pivot to entry-level government roles for stability, even as the nation celebrates adding nearly 17 crore jobs over six years.
- Key Highlights:
- Applications via esb.mp.gov.in reflect a 126:1 competition ratio, underscoring desperation in a landscape where youth unemployment lingers at 14.6% for ages 15-29.
- Written exam slated for October 30, 2025, in two shifts across districts, amid broader calls for skill-aligned hiring under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Application Statistics
The overwhelming response highlights systemic mismatches, with overqualified candidates dominating the pool despite minimal eligibility barriers.
- Total Applications: 9.5 lakh registered, far exceeding vacancies and mirroring national trends where 42.3% of graduates remain jobless—the highest among educational groups.
- Overqualification Breakdown: 52,000 postgrads (MSc, MA, MBA), 33,000 graduates, 12,000 engineers (BTech, BE), and ~50 PhDs—echoing Rajasthan’s recent drive where 75% applicants were overqualified for low-skilled posts.
- Exam Logistics: 100-question objective test on GK, reasoning, and Hindi; negative marking applies.
Profile of Applicants
Rural and semi-urban youth, burdened by family ties and economic pressures, form the core, turning to policing for its prestige and security in an era of stagnant private sector growth.
- Demographic Insights: Predominantly from MP’s hinterlands, many cite local roots preventing migration; a Chhindwara MBA holder noted, “No local jobs post-degree—family kept me here.”
- Trend Alignment: Fits the “jobless education paradox,” where 29.1% graduates are unemployed versus 3.4% for those without formal education, per recent analyses.
Eligibility Criteria
Broad criteria ensure inclusivity, yet attract overachievers sidelined by market realities.
- Educational Qualification: Class 10 pass (Class 8 for ST in select categories) from recognized boards.
- Age Limit: 18-33 years (relaxations: 5 years SC/ST/OBC, 10 years PwD).
- Other Mandates: Indian citizenship, physical standards, clean record; fee ₹560 (general/OBC), ₹310 (SC/ST).
- Legal Note: Supreme Court rulings affirm no automatic disqualification or preference for overqualified candidates, prioritizing essential qualifications.
Recruitment Process
A rigorous multi-stage filter tests aptitude and endurance, weeding out the field for merit-based selection.
- Stages Overview:
- Written Exam: 100 marks, 2 hours; covers science, reasoning.
- Physical Efficiency Test (PET): Qualifying runs, jumps, shot put.
- Physical Measurement Test (PMT) and Medical: Final verification.
- Merit Determination: Combined scores; cut-offs projected at 60-70 for general.
Salary and Benefits
The package lures aspirants with assured progression, contrasting volatile private gigs.
- Pay Scale: ₹19,500-₹62,000 (Level 3, 7th CPC), with DA, HRA; in-hand ~₹25,000-30,000 starting.
- Additional Perks: NPS pension, medical coverage, uniform allowance, risk pay—vital in a context where only 8.25% graduates secure qualification-matched employment.
Reasons Behind the Overqualification Trend
This MP rush epitomizes overqualification’s toll: Educated youth, armed with degrees but starved of opportunities, flood “safe” government slots amid a skills-job mismatch.
- Core Drivers:
- Youth Unemployment Spike: At 10.2-15% nationally (below global 13.3% but stark for graduates), with urban males at 5% yet Gen Z facing 16.5% rates—fueled by automation and slow hiring.
- Education-Job Disconnect: 70% higher education in misaligned general streams; ILO notes India’s youth joblessness exceeds global averages, trapping 83% of unemployed as youth.
- Private Sector Woes: IT visa curbs like H-1B fee hikes threaten remittances and jobs for engineers, pushing them homeward; family pressures amplify local govt job appeals.
- Cultural Pull: In villages, a constable badge equals status, as a Betul MSc aspirant shared: “Post-MSc, steady income trumps uncertainty.”
- Economic Backdrop: Despite 17 crore jobs added (2017-2023), quality lags—NFYM’s August 2025 report warns of a “crisis,” urging reforms.
Context in Current Affairs: Educated Unemployment’s National Echo
The MP saga resonates with October 2025 headlines, from PLFS data showing 5.1% overall unemployment (down from 5.2%) to critiques of Modi’s policies amid “record highs” in youth distress. As G20 touts India’s 2% rate (lowest among peers), ILO counters with graduate paradoxes—29.1% jobless vs. low for illiterates—spotlighting NEP’s push for vocational alignment. Recent Rajasthan overqualification (75% for patwari posts) and H-1B denials (e.g., ₹1 crore IT earner rejected) amplify calls for Atmanirbhar talent retention, positioning this recruitment as a symptom of broader “extreme competition” costs.
- Policy Spotlights:
- NEP 2020: Targets misalignment via skill hubs, yet implementation lags.
- Budget 2025: ₹2 lakh crore for youth schemes, but critics decry insufficient white-collar focus.
- Global Ties: US visa clamps risk brain drain reversal, boosting domestic govt job chases.
Implications and Next Steps
This trend signals urgency for reforms—expanding skill programs, quota tweaks for overqualified tracks—lest it erode India’s demographic dividend.
- For Aspirants: Grab admit cards mid-October from esb.mp.gov.in; ramp up PET prep; track cut-offs.
- National Call: Policymakers must bridge the “unemployment trap,” as Drishti IAS warns, to harness 65% working-age youth by 2030.
